As flu hits, holes in W.H. health team

The Obama administration declared a “public health emergency” Sunday to confront the swine flu — but is heading into its first medical outbreak without a secretary of Health and Human Services or appointees in any of the department’s 19 key posts.

President Barack Obama has not yet chosen a surgeon general or the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His choice to run the Food and Drug Administration awaits confirmation.

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In an unusual Sunday briefing at the White House, acting CDC Director Richard Besser appeared on camera with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Obama homeland security adviser John Brennan to announce the emergency declaration in response to the swine flu outbreak.

Napolitano is the former Arizona governor, and Brennan is a longtime CIA counterterrorism specialist once thought to be in line to run the agency.

“I want to be very clear here: There is a team in place. Part of it is standing behind me, and part of it working as we speak to identify exactly what [Besser] and others have talked about,” Gibbs said. “This notion that somehow that if there is not currently a secretary, that there is not the function that needs to take place to prepare for either this or any other situation is just simply not the case.” “I think it’s all hands on deck, and we’re doing fine,” Gibbs said.

The Senate could vote to confirm HHS Secretary-designate Kathleen Sebelius as early as Tuesday. Obama’s first choice for the post, former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, withdrew. As the swine flu outbreak intensified, Obama has received “multiple” briefings a day since Friday on the outbreak, and an interagency response team has been in constant communication, White House aides said.

Health officials have reported 20 cases across five states — Ohio, Texas, New York, California and Kansas — and expect the numbers to rise as doctors perform more tests to detect the illness. None of the U.S. cases have been fatal. The outbreak started in Mexico, where it has killed 80 and infected 1,300.

Obama recently traveled to Mexico, and his host on a museum tour in Mexico City died the next day, showing flu-like symptoms, but Gibbs said, “the president’s health was never in any danger.” He said the flu has a 24- to 48-hour incubation period and that Obama left Mexico nine days ago and has not shown symptoms of the flu nor been seen by a doctor or received preventive treatment.